Kunama Hut

Located above the tree line, under Mt Northcote and Mt Lee. Now a very visible ruin.

Brief History

Kunama was built in 1953 as a ski lodge, but survived for two years only. It is unique in that it was shifted off its foundations by an avalanche on the 12 July 1956 at 7.20am as the sun came onto the magnificent upper slopes. A falling beam killed one women, Ms Roslyn Twynam Wesche. It was largely removed in 1956. More information on the tragedy can be found at Wikiski.

Today, there is a large amount of rubble and metal remaining, but it is hard to find, being right up under Mt Lee. The position noted in the KHA hut list is wrong by about 1.5Km. The photo below, shows the ruin in December 2002.

Construction

A formal eight bed lodge with vertical weatherboards and gable roof, in the typical European style.

References

• Hueneke Pp8, 17, 18 and 20.

Last updated 5 May, 2015